Packer



Jan. I3, 925.

J. B. RAILSBACK PACKER' Filed Jan. 2, 1923 Patented Jan. i3, 1925.

.Toma BINFORD RAILSBACK,

OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

PACKER.

Application led Januar;rv

To all whom t mayy concern.'

JBe it known that I, JOHN BINFORD RAILS- nAcK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, IresidinnI at Shreveport,'in the parish of Caddo and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packers,

of which the follovwing is a specification.

This invention relates to well packers or apparatus by means of which adesired strata may be tested and water, oil, and other fluid fromadjacent-stratas excluded.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ a packer consisting.essentially of a continuous pipe, tube, or casing extending into awell, a portion of which is surrounded by a mass of rubbeg, canvas, hempor other yielding material which is caused to expand and close a sectionof the well casing out'- side the pipe, preventing the passage of oil,gas. or water outside the flow pipe, thereby, making it possible toproduce .from the level below the packer or to test a lower sand,notwithstanding the presence of the higher water or fluid bearing sand.

Packers are also 'employed for various other purposes, Asuch as todecrease the diameter of a well to permit flowing when the pressure islow and to test out a leaky casing to determine the level of the leak.

The chief objections to the packers nowemployed are the complicatedcharacter of their construction and the difliculty and uncertainty ofdefiating them to permit removal.. f

An object of the present invention is the provision of a packer that maybe readily and positively deflated lfor removal and which is ofextremely simple construction.

In the present invention, I provide a supporting pipe or tube having asection thereof surrounded by a tight fitting, elastic casingcommunicating through the core pipe to the interior of the casing bymeans of a one-way valve through which water or other fluid may beforced to inflate the easing.

When it is desired'to test', exhaust, pump or examine a sand at thebottom of the well to determine its value as a producing sand, or todetermine the nature, condition, and characteristics otl its fluidcontents, it is necessary to exclude or shut off the fluid contents ofoverlying porous strata.

To obtain this result, the core pipe with the elastic casing surroundingit is attached to the bottom of the supporting pipe and lowered into thewell until the packer is at 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,277.

the level ofthe impervious strata overlying the sand to be tested.lrVater or other fluid is. then forced into thc top of the supportingpipe through a one-way valve in the core pipe into the elastic casingwhich is thereby inflated and caused to fit tightly and snugl againstthe walls of the well, even thougi they may be irregular in shape.

The packer being set at the proper level when inflated to prevent t-hepassage of fluid from the upper levels, it is then possible to test,pump, exhaust, or produce from the lower sands at leisure to determinethe nature of the fluid, rock pressure and any desired facts concerningthe same. To remove the packer, two adjacent sections of the pipe areturned to bring vent holes into communication Witheach other and theelastic casing is deflated, disengaging the walls of the well andpermitting easy removal.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of theinvention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a well showing the inventionapplied,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional viewl through the packer, y

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the vent openings, and,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on z,line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, thel reference numeral 1 designates a wellcasing of the usual construction. A supporting pipe 2 is lowered in thewell -to support the packer, the supporting pipe being formed insections in the usual manner which sections are secured to each other bycouplings 3. At the bottom of the supporting pipe, a pipe 4 of smallercross-sectional area is secured. This pipe'bis externally screwthreaded,as at 5, throughout the reater portion of its length and is provide withan opening 6 (see Figure 4). A core JEpipe 7 is adapted to receive thelower end o t e pipe 4, the core pipe being provided with internalthreads and being further provided with an openin A8. An elastic casing9 is arranged aroun the `core pi e. The elastic casing may be formed ofrub er, rubberized fabric, or other similar material, and is adapted toexpand, asl shown in Figures 1' and 2, when inflated. The ends of thecaswat' . ing are tightly secured to the core pipe, as

. with an impervious strata, above ythe oil bearing strata from whichiuid is to be withdrawn. Fluid is then forced through .the well pipe andpasses through the oneway valve 12 into the casing 9, inlating thecasing andcausing it to engage the wall of the well. The inwardlyopening valve14 at the bottom of the core plpe prevents the fluidfrompassing into the well. It will be apparent from an inspection ofFigure 1 of the drawings that when the casing 9 is iniated,communication between the levels of the well above and below the `packeris prevented which permits fluid to be withdrawn from the well belowthey packer with# out being contaminated by oil, mud, water, or otherfluid in the levels above the packer. This is accomplished by applyingsuction to the upperend of the pipe 2, which lifts the valve 14 from itsseat and permitsuid to pass upwardly through the well pipe. It will beapparent that the one-way valve prevents the passage of fluid from theelastic casing. When the packer is to be withdrawn, the pipe 4 islturned in the pipe 7 to bring the openings 6 and 8 into registration,permitting the fluid in the casing to pass into the well pipe. Thiscauses deflation of the casing and the casing disengages the wall of thewell. In case of accident, the casing may be deiated by lowering asuitable instrument into the core pipe and puncturing it.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shapei size, andarrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I

claim l.' In a packer, a core pipe, an .elastic casing-.surrounding saidcore pipe, and a one way valve to permit passage of Huid from said corepipe into said casing.

2. In a packer, Aa core rpipe,.an elastic casing surrounding said corepipe, and a valve to permit-v passage of Huid from said from said pipeto the interior of said casing.-

I4. In a packer, a core pipe, an elastic casing surrounding said corepipe, means for securing the ends of said casing to said core pipe,means for delivering fluid from said core pipe toisaid casing to infiateit,

and means for exhausting Huid from said` casing through said core pipeto deliate said casing.

5. The combination with a well pipe, of a supporting pipe adapted to besecuredv to the bottom of the well pipe, said supportf Aing pipe beingprovided with a vent opening, a core pipe adapted to receive saidsupporting pipe, said core pipe being provided with a vent openingInormally out of registration with the vent opening in said supportingpipe, said supporting pipe being rotatable with respect to said corepipe to permit said vent openings to register when desired, an elasticcasing surrounding said core pipe, and a valve to permit passage of Huidfrom said core pipe into said casing.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa: ture in resence of twowitnesses.

J HN BINFORD RAILSBACK. Witnesses: 'c J. O. JOHNSTON, Jr. M. AUDREY VANSANDT.

